Refuse containers in residences and businesses are commonly stored inside a cabinet. This removes an unsightly container from view and prevents the dispersion of unpleasant odors. A disadvantage to this type of storage is the difficulty of access to the container. More particularly, the cabinet door must be opened and a user must reach in under the cabinet to physically open the container lid and place the refuse inside the container, after which the container lid must be closed. This is awkward and requires physical effort when the cabinet is at a low level.
One method for overcoming these disadvantages is to mount the container on the inside of the cabinet door. When the cabinet door is closed, the container is stored inside of the cabinet. When the cabinet door is opened, the container is swung out to allow easy access. However, even this method has the drawback of requiring a user to bend over, open the container lid, place the refuse within the container, and then close the container lid, after which the cabinet door must be closed. Doing this a number of times per day can be tiring and cause stress and strain on the back, arms, and shoulders.
To overcome this drawback, a number of methods have been developed to automatically open the lid of the container when the cabinet door is opened and automatically close the lid of the container when the cabinet door is closed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,232 discloses a container mounted on a support platform for movement into and out of a cabinet. A flexible member has one end attached to the back of the cabinet and the other end attached to the lid of the container. As the cabinet doors are opened, the container is pulled out of the cabinet and the flexible member pulls the lid back, thus opening the lid as the container exits the cabinet. Closing of the doors moves the container back into the cabinet where the lid contacts the cabinet frame and is forced down. The obvious drawback to this device is the damage to the cabinet and the lid by requiring the lid to contact the cabinet frame to actuate closing. In addition, the flexible member must stretch completely across the open space of the cabinet, causing interference with plumbing and items stored in the cabinet. Finally, this particular container requires substantial modification to the cabinet and is complex and cumbersome. These apparent drawbacks were recognized by the inventor who obtained later patents, U.S. Pat. No. 2,343,409 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,722, which disclose a modified container having a mechanical scissorarm attached to the sliding platform and container that automatically opens and closes the lid without requiring contact with the cabinet structure and eliminating the flexible member. The containers disclosed in these later patents require significant alteration to the cabinet to install and use because the method of automatically opening the lid is mechanically complex and cumbersome. In addition, this method would not work with a container mounted on the swinging cabinet door.
Consequently, there is a need for a simple, yet effective method for opening and closing a container lid mounted on a container that in turn is mounted on a cabinet door without requiring modification to the cabinet structure and without using complex and cumbersome mechanical devices.